Get a few of these at a pawn shop and then go be the first guys in line for the big rewards: those $200 grocery or gas cards etc. Then when the guns re-enter the market (as buybacks often do) go and buy it again at an even lower price and rush back to the front of the line. Gotta play the long game, your first run may seem like a lot of time for little profit, but by the 3rd or 4th buyback you're making serious profit
It's called the 'Perfection' because you only get one shot before it jams, so it demands you're perfect on your first shot. It's only for ~true~ marksmen!
This is actually a perfect "baby's first 9mm handgun" type of firearm. It teaches you to be vigilant, to check the gun is in battery before firing. It improves trigger finger strength with a long, stiff trigger. It helps improve accuracy as you learn to overcome the trigger without impacting your aim. And it helps teach you how to clear malfunctions without immediate danger like a regularly reliable firearm where those situations are unexpected. It really is perfect in every way.
@nfsm654 you’d make a phenomenal sales rep for this dumpster fire of a handgun! I got a good chuckle out of your comment. Tara should’ve marketed this as a malfunction training pistol.
I have one of these. Bought it about three years ago for $219 with two magazines. I discovered that changing the magazine springs to springs from an M&P solved the feed problems. The magazine now hold 16 instead of 17 but the pistol is more reliable. This is a hobby piece for me to see if I can make it work better. Best wishes.
What Ian got is what I expected to find when I bought an unheard of HS2000 9mm on Gunbroker for $247.50 in 2000 A.D. What I got instead was a very nicely crafted pistol that has shot thousands of rounds since then. Going on year 23 and its still my favorite 9mm out of dozens. I do not get attached to polymer guns but HS2000 is the one exception. For those who don't know the HS2000 became the Springfield Inc model XD/XD9.
@RRVCrinale One of the safest guns on the market. Zero chance of negligent discharge when it's hard enough to get it to work when you want it to. I'm amazed these never took off. I suppose if it's heavy enough you can throw it at the attackers head.
10 MONTENEGRIN COMMANDMENTS 1. Man is born tired and lives to get a rest. 2. Love thy bed as you love thyself. 3. Rest during the day, so you can sleep at night. 4. Do not work - work kills. 5. If you see someone resting, help him out. 6. Work as little as you can, and convey all the work you can to another. 7. In shade is salvation - nobody died from resting 8. Work earns illness - do not pass away young. 9. If you have an urge to work, sit down, wait and you'll see it will pass. 10. When you see people eat and drink - approach them, when you see them work - withdraw yourself not to trouble them.
The UN had to intervene a few years ago because too many people were shooting guns into the air at bosnian weddings and football games (definitely the most effective intervention they ever did there)
@@MadMax-lr6hfNije los. Americka kompanija Atlantic Firearms je kupila prvu seriju od 3000 TM9 pistolja koji su pali testove. Ovi TM9 dostupni Amerikancima su mnogo gori od regularnih. Inace TM9 je dosta dobar pistolj, sto nije ni cudo imajuci u vidu da su radnici iz fabrike Glock pomogli u dizajnu.
A must test sounds interesting. Much more devastating than those dust tests, you've added grape hulls sugar and water to the mix. That wouldn't just make your gun jam, it'd make jam!
Right! I keep looking at it and thinking hmm kinda looks like an XD... or a Glock... with a little CZ in the mix maybe. You nailed it with your summation.
Hell this is the new pistol for Baldwin. Only simunition ammo is allowed on set and everyone else has Glocks(also with simunition) if the scene is unacceptable or Baldwin does something unsafe he is shot ten times in the nuggets!
So, while Gander was in possession of some of these pistols I worked behind the gun counter at one of their stores. We had dozens of these pistols, but nobody would buy them. At the time I knew nothing about them, but recognized just how crude they were compared to most modern pistols. It was my job to sell guns, and that I did. However, if a gun was garbage (like a lot of what Gander was selling) I would absolutely steer people away from it. I could not in good conscience sell someone a device they may need to save their life or another’s that is likely sub par. I am really glad this video exists to explain the backstory of these pistols, and the confirmation that they are in fact hot garbage. Side note here: These pistols were not the only questionable firearms Gander came into possession of. They bought tons of firearms in lots, some of them looked like they came directly out of evidence lockers. Things like non function Saturday night specials and such. However, there were a lot of new firearms sold as “used”. What I think happened was a distributor was liquidating and sold all their inventory to Gander, but it couldn’t be resold as new so it was sold at a steep discount. This was also around the time Remington shut down production temporarily when it went under, and tons of Remingtons were sold through us this way as well.
"Have you heard of our "protection plan" for a cool, additional $30 and would you like a $30 box of hollow points?? Also lemme have your broke ass apply for our credit card at 200% apr" I did the same, trying to steer people towards a better weapon, while trying to keep within their means. The metrics driven bullshit was maddening.
No joke, I used to work at Gander Outdoors in the gun department. I remember getting in a huge shipment of these pistols in one day, and all of us gun employees were confused and thought they all looked like shit. Can’t remember anyone actually buying one either 😂
incredibly cheap due to quality problems, amplified on proper precision shooting, shoots better if you shoot it badly? it's almost as if it's made just to arm gangs
Argentina accidentaly made this a reality. We had a "toy gun" called Matagatos TKO, it's a single shot open bolt pistol that was used to shoot 6mm cartridges that didn't contain gunpowder, extremely weak and with, quote, "difficulty to even go through cardboard". BUT, if you get your hands on a .22 bullet, short or long, the thing is completely able to fire it, although you'd need to be very careful and lucky to don't get hurt while doing that.
Local gun store is selling them for around $180 and I'm admittedy tempted simply to have something unique to use as an occasional cheap range toy. Checked the serial numbers on the two pistols displayed on the store's website and sure enough, they're on the rubber bullets only list.
@@spartanjohn5217I woud probably polish the metal inserts on the lower and tweak a bit the angle of the triger tab that pushes the striker. (And pilish that to) It will help a lot imo. Good luck anyway 👍🏻
@1980sCrackbaby In 2019 you could get a surplus Jericho 941F for about that plus a nice lunch. I got one for $239 and almost bought a second. Kicking myself for not doing so because I enjoy shooting it more than my Dan Wesson, my Walther, or my CZs. Could also be because I'm not afraid to scratch or dent it.
I'm glad I'm not the only person fascinated by FORGOTTEN WEAPONS videos about an obscure, lousy gun that I never knew existed, never heard of, and have never seen.
Thank you Ian. I work the gun counter at a big box retailer. We recently acquired another, smaller big box retailer. Corporate redistributed the guns that were in stock at the new stores. I ended up with one of these in inventory. Knowing nothing about them, I didn't know what to tell customers. Well now I do.
@@homer-wn5cu my dream involves a self-defense situation with my Glock 23 where I pulled the trigger and it moves but it never drops the Sear no matter how hard I pull it I have put well over a thousand rounds through this gun and other than a weak grip failure to eject the tool has performed flawlessly. I've had this dream on a few occasions and it rattles me every time. The commonality of this dream among shooters is kind of spooky
i always get dreams where i fall down and literally am incapable of standing up while shit is happening all around me like I'm in one of those old people alert necklace ads. i hate it.
@@Matt-xc6sp i was refering To The fact Ian had to push The action forward almost half The shots he took, because it didn't quite go into battery every now And then
A remarkably hidden and underappreciated feature of the Tara TM-9 is that it sounds exactly like the desert eagle from GTA San Andreas and that makes me feel like a big man.
How refreshing to see someone review a pistol (or any firearm) and declare it "crappy". Way too often other reviewers, video and print, will declare any piece of plastic and pot metal shooter as 'good for home defense' or 'fine concealed carry' or 'nice camp gun' .... when in fact they are often unreliable, inaccurate and just plain dangerous crap. Thanks for your honesty
Almost like a lot of reviewers are getting products for free and/or getting paid by the company... It's even worse in industries where affiliate links are a thing; reviewers compromise themselves without the company even needing to get involved.
@@TheSultan1470 a tool that doesn't do what it's designed to do can be called a lot of things, & crap is definitely one of them. idk why you've gone off on this. calling a thing crappy when it's half-designed, badly made & barely functional isn't a failure of nuance - it's charitable.
It's human nature to be fascinated by train wrecks...and that Tara definitely has left the tracks. The brass bonking off your hat, is the pièce de résistance. That sad sack of a gun does everything badly. Perfection. Thanks for sharing.
I mean, brass bouncing off your head/arms happens with Glocks as well, so it's not a consequence of it being poorly made. There's no real directing it with this style of open ejection port, unlike something like the 1911 which is designed to spit it out the side.
..but...but...but..."perfection".....actually I was just thinking....such perfection that I am shocked that my current Canadian government did not procure these to replace their HI-Powers....they are after all highly concerned about our soldiers safety.....so much so that on the edge of the current Ukraine conflict they have to scrounge helmets and belletproof vests from whomever will help out.
I spoke to an employee of Gander Outdoors about them stopping firearm sales. According to what I was told, the payment processing company that handled the companies retail transactions gave them an ultimatum to cease all sales of firearms, as well as shooting and hunting accessories, or they would lose their ability to process transactions. Publicly, it was claimed that their gun sales "weren't bringing in enough money" despite it allegedly being one of their most profitable areas of sales. Could be a good subject for a future video.
Gander had alot of issues other than payment processor. They decided they wanted all the gunmakers to house inventory in Gander warehouse and wanted to pay when it sold.
Thanks for that brief rundown on the Heinrich Thomet background. I really found that interesting having seen the movie at least 2x. I bought a Canik pistol from when Century had first introduced Canik to the US market. I think that I still have it. It is a duty-size striker fired pistol. It was unique in that it had a de-cocker. It would be a double action on the 1st pull and operate at partial for subsequent rounds. It acted like some hammer fired models from a variety of manufacturers. I kinda liked this. It was a novelty to me at the time and I think that action can be attractive to some for safety. Edit: It also must be said that the sights on this pistol made stock glock sights look like jewelry.
As someone who is from Montenegro, I can't say that I'm suprised that a gun from my country is shit Edit: Not saying that Montenegro is shit, it definetly isn't perfect, but there are a lot of good things about it, the food, the nature, the people and so on. It's just that it doesn't have a lot of proper industry now (it did have good industry but when Yugoslavia fell apart so did 90% of the industry), just not a lot of factories that could make truly good stuff worth exporting other than food and alcohol. It's mostly relying on tourism rather than actual production and export.
The slide not going back into battery is something you see out of some early airsoft pistols. With the operating springs super light there wasn't enough energy in the system to overcome even minor dust, grit, or burrs from manufacturing. Or the extra weight of the cosmetic (and also super light) "suppressor" the user screwed onto the muzzle. You can actually see this happen on screen in "Tears Of The Sun" when the SEAL team is clearing the village. As one of them moves forward with his suppressed Mk.23 (almost certainly the airsoft version by Tokyo Marui) the slide stays out of battery and is visible that way just before the cut in the shot. A hearty "Good job!" to Tara for reproducing this key feature of a classic early airsoft pistol, and even improving on it. The TM Mk.23 would not go back into battery when you released the trigger, you had to push it... ...as the actress said to the bishop.
I sold airsoft out of a paintball store so long ago, had a TM Mk.23 there for a long time, it basically became the "goof around the shop" gun. And it definitely had this issue as well. Haven't thought about that in many years. They were quite pricey too.
@@brandonwhitesell8987 I know. When I was young and foolish I st up an airsoft load-outaround a TM M4A1 and...a TM Mk.23. Expensive, plasticky - because Japanese regs - huge, and all the ergonomics of an angle iron. Also veey limited in how to carry it because there's only one holster for it. Or was, because nobody even make that anymore. And it, too wouldn't go back into battery reliably with the dummy suppressor screwed on.
Cheap, plastic, legendary, reliable...yes, I wasn't talking about the gun. I was talking about Ian's watch - Casio F-91W. It may look cheap and disposable, but it can run for decades with reasonable accuracy on a single battery. Tells time, date and day, also has a 60-min stop watch and an alarm...what else do you need when you're not wearing a suit or getting into serious water?
@@robrob9050 Hey, it's the Mission: Impossible watch! Not dressy, but very tacticool. (What I had in mind was something like A-158 or A-700; cheap, but elegant)
The slide staying out of battery with the trigger held back will probably go away after a few hundred more rounds. But then you'll start getting feed issues because the safety plunger impacts the magazine feedlips and starts to bash em in, causing a burr. Their magazine follower also allows too much tilt which can cause feed issues. Some parts on the TM-9 are interchangeable with a Glock. I wrote an article and did a YT video outlining a bunch of details.
It's very endearing to see Ian McCollum himself wear a humble Casio W-59 /F-91. I bought one in Hong Kong once for like $10 at the time and it lasted me about 15 years on the same battery. Always have one just in case. Also good to keep in your emergency kit, it doesn't weigh anything.
I wore them for two decades but I do physical work, the straps would break. So I ponied up, went on Casio's website, spent $15 bucks for the same watch but in stainless steel. Best watch I've ever owned. Wear it daily, in the workshop, it's very tough and the batteries last a decade. Can't recommend it enough. Ironically for a watch, it's a timeless design :D
As mentioned below, it would be interesting to give this pistol to professional gunsmith to see what it would take to make it function properly. If all it would take were things like lubrication, stronger springs, or a small amount if fitting it still might be decent gun.
The Gander Outdoors in my area actually had a few. Told me they had been fixed, but after handling each of them I could tell they really hadn’t - even just racking the slide you could tell it wasn’t going to go into battery reliably. Glad I passed on those!
@@actionjksn Being gritty or too tight is not the problem so much as the trigger mechanism actively dragging and interfearing with the slides travel. as much as i love a good bit of haphazard dremmeling, thats not going to cut it here
@@therideneverends1697 I don't know because I don't do haphazard Dremeling. I know what to polish on a gun to make it work more smoothly, I've done it many times it's pretty obvious to me what needs it after I examine it.
@@dgallari4370 It's a running joke among Ian's fans, an imaginary country whose Military Procurement minister has been paid off by an unfriendly foreign power to purchase arms and weaponry which on the surface seem like a sound rational economic investment but in fact are carefully chosen to be as useless as possible for their intended purpose. This gun is a must as a sidearm for Elbonian soldiers, I am surprised I had to scroll so far before anyone pointed that out.
I bought one for less than 200 doll hairs. It came and was absolutely stellar. I had 1 mag that had a last round FTF. The other mag ran fine. I stretched the mag spring and both mags run great now. I probably only have 50 rounds through it but zero issues after fixing the mag spring. For what I paid for it, its a stellar deal.
I have that gun, if you polish the firing-pin safety button (remove the sharp edges on the lever and on the button) it works great. easy fix. (and I'm not a gunsmith, I'm a mechanic who repairs chainsaws )😁
I was wondering if there was a DIY fix for this, making it an ok budget gun. And yeah, I just saw this today, it dropped during some especially interesting times for me, and I'm playing catch-up.
So is the slide (or some other component that's holding back the slide) getting stuck on the safety button? And releasing the trigger makes the button go down, so the slide is released, or so I'd imagine.
@@corrinestenman5683 see, you could get one of these and fix it up and still have a generally AWFUL handgun, or you could buy a used taurus g2/g3 that just works. sure they are weird taurus semiautos, but ive seen em for 150 with 2 mags before, and they just run
I'm thinking that the trigger pull safety is hanging up on the plunger in the slide when you still have the trigger pulled, then when you release the trigger the slide can move forward but has lost the forward momentum it would have had otherwise. The plunger in the slide looks a bit square-ish, maybe rounding the edge of the plunger and the actuator in the trigger bar would reduce the friction and allow it to go back into battery better.
I'm curious if the plunger catching on the trigger bar was by design. Otherwise the forward momentum combined with the plunger being depressed when the slide goes into battery would allow the striker to potentially continue forward and fire another round since it doesn't get caught by the sear. Maybe a cheap way to implement a "disconnector" with the unintended consequence of making the gun not go into battery consistently.
@@morgan12x X to doubt on the striker moving forward on momentum. Considering how heavy the triggerpull is, I doubt the striker can overcome the spring by pure momentum alone. I agree with revgregory here and might add that the slide might be a bit heavy, something's up with the recoil spring or there's more friction in the system as needs to be. Maybe the rail tabs on the frame and the rails in the slide are not exactly the right size or shape. The brass isn't ejecting with nearly enough gusto to my untrained eyes. This honestly seems perfect for a "project gun" for when you want to try out those dremmel tools and pretend you're a gunsmith.
@@morgan12x The spring on that striker design works in both directions, I would doubt that the striker inertia would be great enough to overcome the spring to actually cause it to fire when the slide closed. Haven't actually looked at one up close though.
My TM-9 has both single-action and double action mode. After you squeeze the trigger and fire a round, no NOT let the trigger go back forward. Slowly release the trigger until it "clicks", then you are in single action mode and the trigger pull is quite nice. I believe this is detailed in the manual. So, just like a Sig P226, the first trigger pull is double action, but you can then fire the remaining rounds in single-action mode, a long as you don't fully release the trigger. This makes it fairly nice to shoot.
Unfortunately, Ian's didn't go back into battery until the last bit of trigger release. That's actually an interesting idea, to engage the "safety" in the form of a long trigger pull automatically. I haven't shot many DA/SA pistols so I have no idea how well that would work in practice.
Dare I suggest, that the reason the slide was staying back until the trigger was released was the striker block? Think about it, the slide goes nearly all the way forward but when the trigger is released there is still enough spring tension to close it, so it is not a weak spring or it would not close. The trigger pushes up on that plunger to un-block the striker, the gun fires, the slide goes back, the plunger drops down as it comes off the part of the trigger that pushes it up. As the slide comes forward the plunger, in the down position, hits the part of the trigger that pushes it up and stops, as you release the trigger the slide can go all the way forward. I thought about suggesting ramping the plunger or the part of the trigger that pushes it up, but that would turn the gun into a full auto as the slid slams shut with the striker block being pushed up and stops and then inertia carries the striker forward with the striker block disengaged? At the very least, it would not be safe. When he runs the gun faster (lets the trigger go before the slid comes forward) there is nothing to get in the way of that striker block preventing the slide going all the way forward.
I've got one of these, it's not great, on the other hand the TM-9X is a significant improvement. We loved our first one so much we picked up a second one.
@@FuzedBox We liked the X so much we bought a second one. When I found the original models (a year or so ago) I bought one of them to experience the difference. The pistolw as so bad in tabletop (video not published) that I've got no interest in shooting it. It just sits in the collection for reference. The difference between the original and X is significant.
@GBGuns I meant to edit my comment and not delete! Oops. My FFL informed me that I did indeed buy the original... for $90 more than centerfiresystems sells them for ($185). Oh well, it's not bad for a curio. Just found an X for $350 and bought it a few minutes ago. I'm really intrigues by these, and wanted both models anyway. Thanks for your feedback; I think everyone is just jumping on the hatewagon for a potentially good bargain pistol. For prospective TM-9X buyers: Be VERY thorough reading through the product information and UPC numbers, because stores and private parties are selling the originals with the X stock images.
"The gun is specifically designed to be shot badly"...I bet if you turn it 90 degrees and fire it gangster style it works flawlessly 😄 It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what exactly in the design is causing all these malfunctions. Thanks for a fun one
Another tale of woe and intrigue in the gun business. These are my favorite videos of yours Ian! Thanks for another one, the backstory kept me smiling, but I quit smiling when I watched you shooting it.
So, I was a child, about 9 years old, on family vacation from Canada. We stopped at a Gander Mountain because our next stop was a weekend of camping. We were AMAZED. What a place! Anyway, we get to the gun section and there is this glass case in the center, this bolt action rifle with a gigantic optic on it, rifle and optic all camoed out. It had a sign, big bold letters: "THE ULTIMATE DEER RIFLE" I was asking my dad stuff that he didn't know, an employee came over to help... then the 9 year old pissed him off... I asked how far it could shoot a deer from, he gave some huge number the child could not comprehend. Then came the question "Why do you shoot them from so far? Are you afraid of them?" To his credit, though he looked visibly upset, he took a deep breath and explained that "No, it's because the deer are afraid of people, the farther away I am, the less likely he is to know I'm there"
Elbonia was my first thought! Bevel the striker block and polish up the striker block hump on the trigger bar and that may solve the problem if it still releases the striker. Maybe a healthy dunking in oil to slick everything up too.
I got an email from a shop about these a few weeks ago and looked pretty hard into them. For the price they were asking, I thought it might be a fun piece to have in 20 years when it ends up on FW. Guess I was a few years late in guessing its FW debut.
Or a heavier recoil spring. It’s like it won’t go into battery because either the recoil spring is too weak or the striker spring is too heavy. I’ve seen this on high round count Glocks with worn out recoil springs.
I was wondering what flag that was! Montenegro. Man it's always nice seeing more obscure countries with their firearms, historically I can see why Montenegro has an arsenal but still very nice to see this rare gun and it's wacky story. Thank you.
Mine came in a plastic case vs the zipper pouch I’ve seen most places. Fortunately it hasn’t had the issues I’ve seen elsewhere, though I do think somewhere an angle is off because the last bit of travel isn’t fluid. I like it for what it is - a curio.
Recoil spring seems like it isn't really acting on the slide when it goes into that final distance into battery. Normally you want a little bit of tension when you install it so you are using as much of the spring force as you can. With how easy it was for you to remove it, I have a feeling it has little tension when it is fully in battery. Either that, or it is combined with the firing pin safety block and tab on the trigger linkage and getting caught up during cycling.
My guess, based on what you said and what we see, is that the slide is not supposed to snag on the trigger linkage and the reason it works better during rapid fire is that, to get the next shot off, you are 'resetting' your trigger finger fast enough that the slide is not hanging up on the linkage. If the slide is leaving a witness mark on the trigger linkage, you can see if it is feasible to file down the linkage to get the slide moving freely.
Well, I'm one of the Canadians that bought the first gen TM9 and my SN is on the list....lol. It was my first handgun after getting my license and wanted a budget 9mm for the range. I probably only ran 500-600 rounds through it, never had the stuck slide issue but feeding issues big time, especially on the last round. Best part is our current handgun ban now means this thing is essentially a paper weight :) gotta love it.
This the first review I’ve seen on these. Interestingly, a number made it into Canada… unsurprisingly even at $250 they never sold well, even just prior to the handgun ban, they were the last pistols on the shelves… I wonder how many are still in the gouging dealers inventory that we’re trying to sell them for $500… maybe these will someday make it back into the US market and add another chapter of perfection in the Tara story.
I have a soft spot for weird/crap guns like this. I wonder how difficult it is to fix this-what the weakpoints are, what it would be to replace them, ect.
If they are all like Ian's copy, it shouldn't be too difficult. The slide looks to be hanging up on the trigger bar on the return trip. A little tweaking with the trigger bar geometry and a heavier recoil spring could probably fix it right up.
Obviously they spent all the budget on the fancy feature. Ya know, the captive recoil spring. Trying to out cheap Hi-Point is a real challenge ya know. 😁
Ian, this gun simply HAS to go to Mark Novak as a project to fix - to see if it is possible to solve the problem of this design / manufacturing, like Brandon Herrera fixed your Krinkov from Hell!! ❤
You buy the pistol for $150-200, then send it to your local master armorer, and for $1500-2000, they will get it running at 98%+ with a smooth, if weird staging 15lbs trigger. And then tape a coffee can on your forehead and you can collect all the brass. Sounds like a deal to me 🤣🤣
It seems to my non gunsmith, kind of engineering eye that the trigger linkage was jamming everything up. If they split the trigger linkage and the striker safety tab, using a separate pivonting arm to actuate the safety, the problem would go away. Take that with a pinch of salt since I'm not a gunsmith.
If it's an issue with feeding, It seems like you could do a pretty serious feed ramp and chamber polish, and potentially get a stronger spring for the slide. When I first built my VZ61 It would not chamber at all, but a decent polish job has it running like a sewing machine. Could also be that this thing was developed around one particular type of ammo and it's really picky as a result
I have the Tm-9X. An updated version of this handgun. Ive shot over 1,000 rounds thru it now with zero malfunctions. Its very accurate and ive been impressed with the quality. Their 1st gen may have had problems but im happy with the gen 2 and would buy another based on my experiences. Your mileage may vary.
I got one out of curiosity from centerfire(7/23) thinking the story was hilarious. I have had the opposite experience. I did lube it up generously before firing. I have had only 1 failure to extract on a subsonic round(this ammo hates many guns) out of the 150 fired. Hollowpoints even went nice. I was also intrigued by the unique double action trigger. The shop I work for has the TM9X that is only slightly cosmetically different. I know it isn't alot of range time but I'm happy for the money.
The first gun I ever bought was a vz24 from centerfire systems! I've bought from them many times over the years and they are great. I've always been able to get someone on the phone to help.
I wonder if there’s something it catches on in the frame that if filed down would make it run flawlessly. Or just offer a stouter return spring to slam the slide forward so you don’t have to give it that little push. After so many rounds, the problem might correct itself. Although, I suppose that would probably result in more stovepipes. Lots of give and take in gun design I guess 😬 cool video, Ian!
I polished the rails and most other parts that had metal on metal contact. Mine runs just fine with no problems. Yes the trigger is long but after your initial trigger pull you release slow until it resets, cutting the trigger weight and length but half....
@@jeffrey._.westerby-murphy7268 I've read several reviews in which the owners said theirs were great. After Ian's review, they must have gotten one of those that Gander's gunsmiths fixed, or got lucky, or maybe did it themselves like you did. I was interested when Cabela's used gun department had them. They were soooo cheap. But then, Taurus decided to rebate the excellent little G2C, and after that, I got a couple of teally good deals on Canik's superb interpretation of Walther's PPQ. All work as flawlessly as any semiautomatic I've ever fired, including Herr Glock's masterpiece.
I did the heavy return spring in mine as well as polishing the rails etc with no improvement. Still a failure at least once out of every ten shots Havent tried working with the sear yet
This product performs reliably as a paperweight, space saver or counterweight. It just looks like something else. I’d be interested in what it takes to make it function reliably as a firearm.
I have a cheap CZ-75 Airsoft replica from Taiwan and i was surprised with how similar it looks, in finish and material choices. Also my Airsoft replica at one point had this exact same failure(slide not closing properly), I didn’t bother with fixing it properly and just put a rubber band arround it, at a slight angle so the barrel was free. The slide had enough clearance and it actually worked. Later on i sat down and fixed it properly but part of my has a sinking feeling putting a rubber band on the Tara might actually work…🤣
Ian, every single one of your videos is archive worthy. Please dont ever stop what you do. You are the undisputed best at what you do, and i watch at least 1 video every single day. Thank you for everything
Every firearms manufacturer/ designer should have to watch at least 24 hours of your content before even thinking about making a gun. You include the best history/lore, best technical analysis, and an overall fantastic "3rd party" perspective. You are 1st on my top 3 on RUclips accounts.... out of every account that has ever existed or will in the future. An absolute legend among gun buffs, history buffs, and youtube addicts alike. Thank you from the bottom of my heart
We call it the "Protecting Americans Act" "What does it say though?" "Oh, It makes it illegal to vote if we don't like you for any reason. Like if you're poor or something"
Forgot the Crossfire Mk1, an over/under pump action rifle and shotgun hybrid. Ian made a video about it forever ago. Would list some more older/rarer firearms that you probably don't want either, but at the same time, you could say yes based on anything except taking one out to the range.
@@Kevin80237 I am aware that the same word can have completely different meanings in different languages, I was joking. Also I would not buy a product that has the name TARA written on it because of the meaning that word has for me, like if I see "birria tacos", where birria means garbage or trash, so I would not try those either, I am not mexican.
From the sound of it, all that really needed to be changed to get it working properly wound be 1. adjusting the sear bar to drop lower at full travel 2. some mild geometry changes to the lock up and 3. some adjustments to the recoil spring pressure. Other than that, there really doesn't seem to be anything fundamentally wrong with the design. Perhaps if there was a way to make it da/sa with a manual decocker, it could sell decently well and carve out a place for itself in the market. Making it an affordable option for private security and small Police departments.
i remember rebuilding a glock incorrectly and it had that same issue where the slide would not go fully forwards until you release the trigger can't remember what it was now but it was exactly like that
The locking style looks M&P, the rest looks Glock Gen3 as does the Slide. I had these same issues with P80 builds. There is some work to be done on the disconnector and striker safety. Polishing these areas will likely get it running 99%.
This video was very interesting to me, not really because of the pistol it is as generic as they come but because it doesn't work. It was fun speculating on what is causing it to malfunction and potential solutions. It seems like a heftier spring might help and my best guess as to why it holds open slightly with the trigger depressed is maybe the tab that depresses the button for the firing pin block is catching when the slide tries to go back into battery since it doesn't reset. This almost makes me want to get one just to tinker with and see if I'm right or not
I, for one, would love to see a History Of (or Interview With) Century Arms. It would be fascinating to hear someone actually associated with the company explain themselves to the American firearms community. In fact, I actually would love to see such a thing for some of the other "semi-controversial" manufacturers/importers also: Vector, Group Industries, Sarco, RPB, MAC, SWD, and especially Interarms. I'm probably forgetting a few obvious ones.
From what I recall at the time, Gander Mountain was having difficulties in properly training staff in safely storing firearms (things like inspections discovering live rounds in display guns, missing serialized parts, etc.)
I am intrigued by the concept of the DA semiauto. Simple. Good capacity. Perhaps the trigger could be improved simply by a cam as on the Ruger LCR. Maybe. Or perhaps making a hammer fired system. Ian I liked the back story. It substantiates your other stories about the problems of firearms development/manufacture.
If you have a collection, keep it as a collector's item. It has value just from history. Put a "don't use" flag on it, put preservative on it, and put it into the dark corner of your safe.
In Spanish, the word "tara" means defect (tare). "Tara Perfection" sounds somewhat contradictory. And for a Spanish speaker who also speaks English, it sounds something like "the perfection of the defect." I don't think any Spanish speaker would purchase that gun without having the feeling that he's making a poor buying decision. The brand name says it all. lol
I think it's like a highpoint in the way that you'd keep it in a tool box or bathroom where you normally wouldn't think of keeping a gun and don't mind forgetting about it. At least with highpoint you actually get great customer service.
Not only is it unreliable, but it also throws the brass back into the shooter's face! LOL
I sense an Elbonian defense contract!
It should have a warning stamped on it. "Do not fire while wearing a V-neck!"
@@henryturnerjr3857 especially if you happen to be female! xD
(are those shells hot? could they actually burn you? ^^)
Also it has no trigger dingus. 😂
@@peka2478Very much so. Lady friend of mine has a brass burn scar in a very awkward place because of hot brass getting down the front of her shirt.
@@peka2478 yeah my ex gf had a big ass scar between her tits, flew in there from the guy next to her, I think it was a 308 case
It is very forward thinking and innovative of them to design a gun specifically for the government buyback market.
Depending on how much they offer, you might actually be able to come out ahead.
You could get a really nice pair of Nikes for trade
Get a few of these at a pawn shop and then go be the first guys in line for the big rewards: those $200 grocery or gas cards etc.
Then when the guns re-enter the market (as buybacks often do) go and buy it again at an even lower price and rush back to the front of the line.
Gotta play the long game, your first run may seem like a lot of time for little profit, but by the 3rd or 4th buyback you're making serious profit
GB-22 is this concept but real
@@kangarumpy Yes but that's made by someone competent, and therefore not nearly as funny.
It's called the 'Perfection' because you only get one shot before it jams, so it demands you're perfect on your first shot. It's only for ~true~ marksmen!
It is essentially the modern gentleman's dueling pistol. Just slightly faster reloading times
Should have switched the letters around from "TM-9" to "WT-9" and say it stands for William Tell.
You just have to attain perfection at reaching up with your left hand and smacking the back of the slide to put it in battery for the next shot.
That's something Liara would say. ;w;
"Perfection" worked for Glock, so why not.??!! 🤣
This is actually a perfect "baby's first 9mm handgun" type of firearm.
It teaches you to be vigilant, to check the gun is in battery before firing. It improves trigger finger strength with a long, stiff trigger. It helps improve accuracy as you learn to overcome the trigger without impacting your aim. And it helps teach you how to clear malfunctions without immediate danger like a regularly reliable firearm where those situations are unexpected.
It really is perfect in every way.
Found the Elbonian
Today's lesson: how not to shoot yourself
@nfsm654 you’d make a phenomenal sales rep for this dumpster fire of a handgun! I got a good chuckle out of your comment. Tara should’ve marketed this as a malfunction training pistol.
You know it's good when the trigger design has more in common with a staple gun than most modern firearms.
"You just got stapled!" That storied catchphrase we all remember from yore;)
nailed it :)
Tara's genius is unparalleled: they have invented the semi-bolt action
please don't give them ideas
It’s a feature, not a defect!
Full semi-bolt action.
No it's a tripple-action trigger. It is a new saftey feature!
This cracked me up 😂 thank you for brightening my day!
This handgun looks like every single "legally distinct to avoid copyright issues" glock-esque pistol you see in alot of videogames.
Video games have way more accurate Glock models :D
perfection
Literally the 9mm pistol.
If Century Arms is smart, they strike a deal with Activision to put the Tara in Call of Duty as an OP gun.
@@KapiteinKrentebolCould make it some reward gun on 1st April!
I have one of these. Bought it about three years ago for $219 with two magazines. I discovered that changing the magazine springs to springs from an M&P solved the feed problems. The magazine now hold 16 instead of 17 but the pistol is more reliable. This is a hobby piece for me to see if I can make it work better. Best wishes.
I wonder if you can upload a video of that.
What Ian got is what I expected to find when I bought an unheard of HS2000 9mm on Gunbroker for $247.50 in 2000 A.D. What I got instead was a very nicely crafted pistol that has shot thousands of rounds since then. Going on year 23 and its still my favorite 9mm out of dozens. I do not get attached to polymer guns but HS2000 is the one exception. For those who don't know the HS2000 became the Springfield Inc model XD/XD9.
Everyone needs a hobby!
I had wondered if a spring job might help it out.
and best luck!
Fun fact, some of these made it to Canada for sale.
And if you squeeze the grip too hard you can induce the failure to feed malfunction.
You can induce a failure by... squeezing the grip.
Well thats new at least. Never heard that one before.
Was that during the imminent handgun transfer ban?
It's a reverse grip safety. Revolutionary.
@RRVCrinale One of the safest guns on the market. Zero chance of negligent discharge when it's hard enough to get it to work when you want it to.
I'm amazed these never took off.
I suppose if it's heavy enough you can throw it at the attackers head.
It’s Canada 🇨🇦 …
10 MONTENEGRIN COMMANDMENTS
1. Man is born tired and lives to get a rest.
2. Love thy bed as you love thyself.
3. Rest during the day, so you can sleep at night.
4. Do not work - work kills.
5. If you see someone resting, help him out.
6. Work as little as you can, and convey all the work you can to another.
7. In shade is salvation - nobody died from resting
8. Work earns illness - do not pass away young.
9. If you have an urge to work, sit down, wait and you'll see it will pass.
10. When you see people eat and drink - approach them, when you see them work
- withdraw yourself not to trouble them.
Excellent philosophy . I agree with them all .
I'm from Montenegro, we seem to have made this for weddings and celebrations to shoot at the sky and miss everything 😂😜 🇲🇪🇲🇪🇲🇪
Ovo je katastrofa nisam znao da je ovako loše ipak držati se tetejca najbolje
The UN had to intervene a few years ago because too many people were shooting guns into the air at bosnian weddings and football games (definitely the most effective intervention they ever did there)
@@MadMax-lr6hfNije los. Americka kompanija Atlantic Firearms je kupila prvu seriju od 3000 TM9 pistolja koji su pali testove. Ovi TM9 dostupni Amerikancima su mnogo gori od regularnih. Inace TM9 je dosta dobar pistolj, sto nije ni cudo imajuci u vidu da su radnici iz fabrike Glock pomogli u dizajnu.
Does that include accidentally shooting down wandering airplanes?
“Only time I lick in the air is new year’s eve” hvala
Quite impressive they made a pistol that, totally clean, performs about as well as most guns after a McCollum mud test
....and has that innovative "barrel reset".....
A must test sounds interesting. Much more devastating than those dust tests, you've added grape hulls sugar and water to the mix. That wouldn't just make your gun jam, it'd make jam!
@@coaxill4059 ha! I’ve corrected the spelling, thank you :)
...or like a brand new Kimber. 😁
Imagine if the mud magically made it better
They nailed the “Generic Pistol from Video Game” aesthetic
Right! I keep looking at it and thinking hmm kinda looks like an XD... or a Glock... with a little CZ in the mix maybe. You nailed it with your summation.
Hell this is the new pistol for Baldwin. Only simunition ammo is allowed on set and everyone else has Glocks(also with simunition) if the scene is unacceptable or Baldwin does something unsafe he is shot ten times in the nuggets!
@@rob6850 Finest Eurpopean Glzak polymer 9mm for all your problem solved!
Where the gun is just named '9mm' or 'Pistol'
Perfect for aspiring Unity game developers to download for free and rename it "9mm Pistol 1"
So, while Gander was in possession of some of these pistols I worked behind the gun counter at one of their stores. We had dozens of these pistols, but nobody would buy them. At the time I knew nothing about them, but recognized just how crude they were compared to most modern pistols. It was my job to sell guns, and that I did. However, if a gun was garbage (like a lot of what Gander was selling) I would absolutely steer people away from it. I could not in good conscience sell someone a device they may need to save their life or another’s that is likely sub par. I am really glad this video exists to explain the backstory of these pistols, and the confirmation that they are in fact hot garbage.
Side note here: These pistols were not the only questionable firearms Gander came into possession of. They bought tons of firearms in lots, some of them looked like they came directly out of evidence lockers. Things like non function Saturday night specials and such. However, there were a lot of new firearms sold as “used”. What I think happened was a distributor was liquidating and sold all their inventory to Gander, but it couldn’t be resold as new so it was sold at a steep discount. This was also around the time Remington shut down production temporarily when it went under, and tons of Remingtons were sold through us this way as well.
"Have you heard of our "protection plan" for a cool, additional $30 and would you like a $30 box of hollow points?? Also lemme have your broke ass apply for our credit card at 200% apr" I did the same, trying to steer people towards a better weapon, while trying to keep within their means. The metrics driven bullshit was maddening.
I have to admit I was tempted to buy one for a toy. I have dependable weapons for safety. I'm glad I didn't; even toys should work better.
I picked up a usp 45 and cz 83 for absolute steals from gander. Wish they got back into gun sales.
@@EvanDickersonM81
I think they're extinct. Gone completely, at least brick & mortar.
Gotta question kimber or colt 1911?
No joke, I used to work at Gander Outdoors in the gun department. I remember getting in a huge shipment of these pistols in one day, and all of us gun employees were confused and thought they all looked like shit. Can’t remember anyone actually buying one either 😂
Hahaha nice
Impressive how they manage to make a toy pistol capable of firing real bullets. 10/10.
incredibly cheap due to quality problems, amplified on proper precision shooting, shoots better if you shoot it badly? it's almost as if it's made just to arm gangs
sad part is that you can buy airsoft guns with better quality.
You mean, firing real bullet...?
whoahhhhhhh you might be on to somethin@@abs_nobody
Argentina accidentaly made this a reality. We had a "toy gun" called Matagatos TKO, it's a single shot open bolt pistol that was used to shoot 6mm cartridges that didn't contain gunpowder, extremely weak and with, quote, "difficulty to even go through cardboard". BUT, if you get your hands on a .22 bullet, short or long, the thing is completely able to fire it, although you'd need to be very careful and lucky to don't get hurt while doing that.
Local gun store is selling them for around $180 and I'm admittedy tempted simply to have something unique to use as an occasional cheap range toy. Checked the serial numbers on the two pistols displayed on the store's website and sure enough, they're on the rubber bullets only list.
Just ask if you can buy it for like fifty bucks and maybe you could fuck around with it
Lmao
Not gonna lie, I'd be tempted to pick one up just to see if I could get it to run.
@@spartanjohn5217I woud probably polish the metal inserts on the lower and tweak a bit the angle of the triger tab that pushes the striker. (And pilish that to)
It will help a lot imo.
Good luck anyway 👍🏻
@1980sCrackbaby In 2019 you could get a surplus Jericho 941F for about that plus a nice lunch. I got one for $239 and almost bought a second. Kicking myself for not doing so because I enjoy shooting it more than my Dan Wesson, my Walther, or my CZs.
Could also be because I'm not afraid to scratch or dent it.
man, i think i love the convoluted stories behind awful guns the most
The zip 22 was one of my favorites!
Chinese warlord pistols have entered the chat.
Good, normal guns are super boring.
I'm glad I'm not the only person fascinated by FORGOTTEN WEAPONS videos about an obscure, lousy gun that I never knew existed, never heard of, and have never seen.
Thank you Ian. I work the gun counter at a big box retailer. We recently acquired another, smaller big box retailer. Corporate redistributed the guns that were in stock at the new stores. I ended up with one of these in inventory. Knowing nothing about them, I didn't know what to tell customers. Well now I do.
"It is story time"
That trigger pull was like every dream I’ve ever had trying to pull a trigger, FOREVER!!!!
im so glad im not alone with that stupid dream
Mines a variation of the dream where I'm to weak to pull it. But regardless I'm not alone!
@@homer-wn5cu my dream involves a self-defense situation with my Glock 23 where I pulled the trigger and it moves but it never drops the Sear no matter how hard I pull it I have put well over a thousand rounds through this gun and other than a weak grip failure to eject the tool has performed flawlessly. I've had this dream on a few occasions and it rattles me every time. The commonality of this dream among shooters is kind of spooky
i always get dreams where i fall down and literally am incapable of standing up while shit is happening all around me like I'm in one of those old people alert necklace ads. i hate it.
Not you too!
I love how they ended up making a single action pistol with double action trigger.
It’s semi-semi-automatic
@@Matt-xc6sp i was refering To The fact Ian had to push The action forward almost half The shots he took, because it didn't quite go into battery every now And then
@@anttitheinternetguy3213 I know. I was saying it’s semi automatic only semi of the time.
@@Matt-xc6sp ohhh sorry now i saw The double semi haha, My mistake
Its a safety feature to prevent full auto conversion. Cant slam fire if the slide doesnt close
Delete that comment now before the ATF sees it and gets some new ideas.
But you CAN have an out of battery discharge, which is a NASTY fuckywucky
@@calebdean2440forcing us to buy from them exclusively
A remarkably hidden and underappreciated feature of the Tara TM-9 is that it sounds exactly like the desert eagle from GTA San Andreas and that makes me feel like a big man.
I think the montenegrins like that the most.
As someone involved in the gun industry this is the most gun industry story I've heard in my life 🤣
As a Montenegrin, this is the most Montenegrin story i've heard in my life.
How refreshing to see someone review a pistol (or any firearm) and declare it "crappy". Way too often other reviewers, video and print, will declare any piece of plastic and pot metal shooter as 'good for home defense' or 'fine concealed carry' or 'nice camp gun' .... when in fact they are often unreliable, inaccurate and just plain dangerous crap. Thanks for your honesty
@@justforever96 Yep
Yeah, let's just call things crap. Crap this, crap that... Is that the extent of your vocabulary and nuance?
Almost like a lot of reviewers are getting products for free and/or getting paid by the company... It's even worse in industries where affiliate links are a thing; reviewers compromise themselves without the company even needing to get involved.
@@TheSultan1470 a tool that doesn't do what it's designed to do can be called a lot of things, & crap is definitely one of them.
idk why you've gone off on this. calling a thing crappy when it's half-designed, badly made & barely functional isn't a failure of nuance - it's charitable.
It's human nature to be fascinated by train wrecks...and that Tara definitely has left the tracks. The brass bonking off your hat, is the pièce de résistance. That sad sack of a gun does everything badly. Perfection. Thanks for sharing.
The brass oscillating between bonking off/flying over the hat and ejecting anemically between his arms had me laughing.
That reminds me. Any other military/ex military who were left handed have the annoyance of hot brass landing on your arm from the M16-A2?
I mean, brass bouncing off your head/arms happens with Glocks as well, so it's not a consequence of it being poorly made. There's no real directing it with this style of open ejection port, unlike something like the 1911 which is designed to spit it out the side.
Even when Canada was on the verge of banning handguns, these pieces of crap were not getting bought.😂
..but...but...but..."perfection".....actually I was just thinking....such perfection that I am shocked that my current Canadian government did not procure these to replace their HI-Powers....they are after all highly concerned about our soldiers safety.....so much so that on the edge of the current Ukraine conflict they have to scrounge helmets and belletproof vests from whomever will help out.
I saw these for sale cheap .glad I didn't bite!
Now getting a hold of one of these is gold simply because it’s a firearm
@@troy3456789An additional $400 would buy a firearm that’s functional out of the box.
They were hoping mass shooters will acquire it for bad bad intent, since it will most likely ruin their mass shooting :S
I spoke to an employee of Gander Outdoors about them stopping firearm sales. According to what I was told, the payment processing company that handled the companies retail transactions gave them an ultimatum to cease all sales of firearms, as well as shooting and hunting accessories, or they would lose their ability to process transactions. Publicly, it was claimed that their gun sales "weren't bringing in enough money" despite it allegedly being one of their most profitable areas of sales.
Could be a good subject for a future video.
Gander Outdoors went into bankruptcy in 2022, so it was more like they had shit economy overall
@@johan13135hows your company doing nigga?
Gander had alot of issues other than payment processor. They decided they wanted all the gunmakers to house inventory in Gander warehouse and wanted to pay when it sold.
@@rjacobherman Thats a 50 IQ move right there.
Thanks for that brief rundown on the Heinrich Thomet background. I really found that interesting having seen the movie at least 2x.
I bought a Canik pistol from when Century had first introduced Canik to the US market. I think that I still have it. It is a duty-size striker fired pistol. It was unique in that it had a de-cocker. It would be a double action on the 1st pull and operate at partial for subsequent rounds. It acted like some hammer fired models from a variety of manufacturers.
I kinda liked this. It was a novelty to me at the time and I think that action can be attractive to some for safety.
Edit: It also must be said that the sights on this pistol made stock glock sights look like jewelry.
The amount of daylight you can see between the slide and the frame in the outdoor shots is nuts
As someone who is from Montenegro, I can't say that I'm suprised that a gun from my country is shit
Edit: Not saying that Montenegro is shit, it definetly isn't perfect, but there are a lot of good things about it, the food, the nature, the people and so on. It's just that it doesn't have a lot of proper industry now (it did have good industry but when Yugoslavia fell apart so did 90% of the industry), just not a lot of factories that could make truly good stuff worth exporting other than food and alcohol. It's mostly relying on tourism rather than actual production and export.
Same
Oof
@@prfwrx2497 yes!?
@@edgarburlyman738 the name is literally italian, so it cant get much more european for non-europeans I guess
@@edgarburlyman738you are an uneducated person. Work on your education first, then we can work on your (many, many) other problems.
The slide not going back into battery is something you see out of some early airsoft pistols. With the operating springs super light there wasn't enough energy in the system to overcome even minor dust, grit, or burrs from manufacturing. Or the extra weight of the cosmetic (and also super light) "suppressor" the user screwed onto the muzzle.
You can actually see this happen on screen in "Tears Of The Sun" when the SEAL team is clearing the village. As one of them moves forward with his suppressed Mk.23 (almost certainly the airsoft version by Tokyo Marui) the slide stays out of battery and is visible that way just before the cut in the shot.
A hearty "Good job!" to Tara for reproducing this key feature of a classic early airsoft pistol, and even improving on it. The TM Mk.23 would not go back into battery when you released the trigger, you had to push it...
...as the actress said to the bishop.
I sold airsoft out of a paintball store so long ago, had a TM Mk.23 there for a long time, it basically became the "goof around the shop" gun. And it definitely had this issue as well. Haven't thought about that in many years. They were quite pricey too.
@@brandonwhitesell8987 I know. When I was young and foolish I st up an airsoft load-outaround a TM M4A1 and...a TM Mk.23. Expensive, plasticky - because Japanese regs - huge, and all the ergonomics of an angle iron. Also veey limited in how to carry it because there's only one holster for it. Or was, because nobody even make that anymore.
And it, too wouldn't go back into battery reliably with the dummy suppressor screwed on.
I swear my unmarex airguns are better made than this pos
The fact that tara in spanish mean defect/disability make that name for this gun even better
Cheap, plastic, legendary, reliable...yes, I wasn't talking about the gun. I was talking about Ian's watch - Casio F-91W. It may look cheap and disposable, but it can run for decades with reasonable accuracy on a single battery. Tells time, date and day, also has a 60-min stop watch and an alarm...what else do you need when you're not wearing a suit or getting into serious water?
I think I saw somebody in suit with Casio, it was FBI director, no corruption there haha
@@robrob9050 Was it at least metallic? haha
@@vaclav_fejt No man he had El Cheapo plastic Casio. Edit: yt video
Robert Mueller's Watch: The Casio DW-290. Describes it more. 😂
@@robrob9050 Hey, it's the Mission: Impossible watch! Not dressy, but very tacticool.
(What I had in mind was something like A-158 or A-700; cheap, but elegant)
8:36 You know just how convoluted the story is when Ian himself is having problems remembers who's who mid presentation.
The slide staying out of battery with the trigger held back will probably go away after a few hundred more rounds. But then you'll start getting feed issues because the safety plunger impacts the magazine feedlips and starts to bash em in, causing a burr. Their magazine follower also allows too much tilt which can cause feed issues. Some parts on the TM-9 are interchangeable with a Glock. I wrote an article and did a YT video outlining a bunch of details.
It's very endearing to see Ian McCollum himself wear a humble Casio W-59 /F-91. I bought one in Hong Kong once for like $10 at the time and it lasted me about 15 years on the same battery. Always have one just in case. Also good to keep in your emergency kit, it doesn't weigh anything.
Gotta love the F91's! I'm partial to the W-800H myself, basically a slightly fancier F91 that's properly waterproof.
Even Bin Laden used one 😂
@@boingkster also more information on screen and multiple settable alarms.
@@InvidiousIgnoramus yup. Been wearing one for about 12 years now.
I wore them for two decades but I do physical work, the straps would break. So I ponied up, went on Casio's website, spent $15 bucks for the same watch but in stainless steel. Best watch I've ever owned. Wear it daily, in the workshop, it's very tough and the batteries last a decade. Can't recommend it enough. Ironically for a watch, it's a timeless design :D
The Gander Mtn bit is pure coincidence. They went under due to expanding too fast and the ridiculous price points compared to other retailers.
As mentioned below, it would be interesting to give this pistol to professional gunsmith to see what it would take to make it function properly. If all it would take were things like lubrication, stronger springs, or a small amount if fitting it still might be decent gun.
I was wondering the same. The trigger pull issue would remain, but the misfire problem might be reasily fixed.
That's what I'm thinking also, put heavier springs in it
I put heavier recoil spring in mine and it didn’t help. Also polished the rails but no improvement
The Gander Outdoors in my area actually had a few. Told me they had been fixed, but after handling each of them I could tell they really hadn’t - even just racking the slide you could tell it wasn’t going to go into battery reliably. Glad I passed on those!
Does it feel like the surfaces on the slide and frame need polished? Like does it feel rough and gritty or tight?
@@actionjksn it was more of an issue with it hanging up in the last bit of travel. It was reasonably smooth other than that.
@@actionjksn Being gritty or too tight is not the problem so much as the trigger mechanism actively dragging and interfearing with the slides travel.
as much as i love a good bit of haphazard dremmeling, thats not going to cut it here
@@therideneverends1697 I don't know because I don't do haphazard Dremeling. I know what to polish on a gun to make it work more smoothly, I've done it many times it's pretty obvious to me what needs it after I examine it.
Sure, but this is not that, its a poorly designed trigger group@@actionjksn
Never knew the story behind these original TM-9's. Thanks for bringing it to light.
I'm very surprised Century didn't try and sell these to Elbonia! It'd be one of the most modern AND functional guns in their arsenal.
What the fuck is elbonia?
@@dgallari4370dilbert reference of all things
@@dgallari4370 exactly my thought
@@dgallari4370 It's a running joke among Ian's fans, an imaginary country whose Military Procurement minister has been paid off by an unfriendly foreign power to purchase arms and weaponry which on the surface seem like a sound rational economic investment but in fact are carefully chosen to be as useless as possible for their intended purpose. This gun is a must as a sidearm for Elbonian soldiers, I am surprised I had to scroll so far before anyone pointed that out.
@@dzonbrodi514 It actually comes from the Dilbert comic universe, I'm guessing it was just adopted by Ian's fanbase.
I bought one for less than 200 doll hairs. It came and was absolutely stellar. I had 1 mag that had a last round FTF. The other mag ran fine. I stretched the mag spring and both mags run great now. I probably only have 50 rounds through it but zero issues after fixing the mag spring. For what I paid for it, its a stellar deal.
Proof that "it works for me" is not an indication of quality.
200 doll hairs? LOL, that auto correction is a riot!
I have that gun, if you polish the firing-pin safety button (remove the sharp edges on the lever and on the button) it works great. easy fix. (and I'm not a gunsmith, I'm a mechanic who repairs chainsaws )😁
I was wondering if there was a DIY fix for this, making it an ok budget gun.
And yeah, I just saw this today, it dropped during some especially interesting times for me, and I'm playing catch-up.
Yea seems like a simple fix.. the layout is really simple which makes it really easy to work on it..
So is the slide (or some other component that's holding back the slide) getting stuck on the safety button? And releasing the trigger makes the button go down, so the slide is released, or so I'd imagine.
@@corrinestenman5683 see, you could get one of these and fix it up and still have a generally AWFUL handgun, or you could buy a used taurus g2/g3 that just works. sure they are weird taurus semiautos, but ive seen em for 150 with 2 mags before, and they just run
@@marcusborderlands6177so would you recommend the Taurus rather than this TARA in this same very low price range?
This is the kind of quality content I check my subscriptions for.
I'm thinking that the trigger pull safety is hanging up on the plunger in the slide when you still have the trigger pulled, then when you release the trigger the slide can move forward but has lost the forward momentum it would have had otherwise. The plunger in the slide looks a bit square-ish, maybe rounding the edge of the plunger and the actuator in the trigger bar would reduce the friction and allow it to go back into battery better.
I though the sqme
I'm curious if the plunger catching on the trigger bar was by design. Otherwise the forward momentum combined with the plunger being depressed when the slide goes into battery would allow the striker to potentially continue forward and fire another round since it doesn't get caught by the sear. Maybe a cheap way to implement a "disconnector" with the unintended consequence of making the gun not go into battery consistently.
@@morgan12x X to doubt on the striker moving forward on momentum. Considering how heavy the triggerpull is, I doubt the striker can overcome the spring by pure momentum alone.
I agree with revgregory here and might add that the slide might be a bit heavy, something's up with the recoil spring or there's more friction in the system as needs to be. Maybe the rail tabs on the frame and the rails in the slide are not exactly the right size or shape. The brass isn't ejecting with nearly enough gusto to my untrained eyes.
This honestly seems perfect for a "project gun" for when you want to try out those dremmel tools and pretend you're a gunsmith.
@@morgan12x The spring on that striker design works in both directions, I would doubt that the striker inertia would be great enough to overcome the spring to actually cause it to fire when the slide closed. Haven't actually looked at one up close though.
Easy to check by removing the striker safety. Not advocating carrying it like that or any other way, just saying for testing purposes ok.
It's like what you'd expect to receive if you ordered a Glock from Wish.
To me its more of an alibaba m&p40 lol
That's a good one!! Or TEMU. 🤣
Golck 9ww... like a Chinese Wauser C96.
A 'Grock'?
This was a very fun change of pace! Similar vibes to the ZiP .22 video. Thanks for another banger, Ian!
Is it a forgotten weapon or rather a weapon to forget?
Both
Tara “Perfection”
First round jam. 😂
This begs to be made into Magneto meme format:
I want a cheap gun
Perfection
"You would have to drop this from space to get enough inertia for this to go off hitting the back"
Sig would pay dearly for to know how this could be.
Lol somebody sneezes a little to boisterously in a gun store and gets shot by a sig sitting in a box in the back room
SIG: Is it possible to learn this power?
Tara: Not from the Swiss.
My TM-9 has both single-action and double action mode. After you squeeze the trigger and fire a round, no NOT let the trigger go back forward. Slowly release the trigger until it "clicks", then you are in single action mode and the trigger pull is quite nice. I believe this is detailed in the manual. So, just like a Sig P226, the first trigger pull is double action, but you can then fire the remaining rounds in single-action mode, a long as you don't fully release the trigger. This makes it fairly nice to shoot.
That's not single action, that's just riding the trigger reset.
Valid. Manual calls it DARE- Double Action Rapid Engagement. To me, it's like SA/DA on my P226.
Unfortunately, Ian's didn't go back into battery until the last bit of trigger release. That's actually an interesting idea, to engage the "safety" in the form of a long trigger pull automatically. I haven't shot many DA/SA pistols so I have no idea how well that would work in practice.
Dare I suggest, that the reason the slide was staying back until the trigger was released was the striker block? Think about it, the slide goes nearly all the way forward but when the trigger is released there is still enough spring tension to close it, so it is not a weak spring or it would not close. The trigger pushes up on that plunger to un-block the striker, the gun fires, the slide goes back, the plunger drops down as it comes off the part of the trigger that pushes it up. As the slide comes forward the plunger, in the down position, hits the part of the trigger that pushes it up and stops, as you release the trigger the slide can go all the way forward. I thought about suggesting ramping the plunger or the part of the trigger that pushes it up, but that would turn the gun into a full auto as the slid slams shut with the striker block being pushed up and stops and then inertia carries the striker forward with the striker block disengaged? At the very least, it would not be safe. When he runs the gun faster (lets the trigger go before the slid comes forward) there is nothing to get in the way of that striker block preventing the slide going all the way forward.
I've got one of these, it's not great, on the other hand the TM-9X is a significant improvement. We loved our first one so much we picked up a second one.
How much are they selling for?
@@FuzedBox We liked the X so much we bought a second one. When I found the original models (a year or so ago) I bought one of them to experience the difference. The pistolw as so bad in tabletop (video not published) that I've got no interest in shooting it. It just sits in the collection for reference. The difference between the original and X is significant.
@GBGuns I meant to edit my comment and not delete! Oops. My FFL informed me that I did indeed buy the original... for $90 more than centerfiresystems sells them for ($185). Oh well, it's not bad for a curio. Just found an X for $350 and bought it a few minutes ago.
I'm really intrigues by these, and wanted both models anyway. Thanks for your feedback; I think everyone is just jumping on the hatewagon for a potentially good bargain pistol.
For prospective TM-9X buyers: Be VERY thorough reading through the product information and UPC numbers, because stores and private parties are selling the originals with the X stock images.
"The gun is specifically designed to be shot badly"...I bet if you turn it 90 degrees and fire it gangster style it works flawlessly 😄 It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what exactly in the design is causing all these malfunctions. Thanks for a fun one
That would also place the brass nicely to your side... you might be on to something
I would actually really love seeing Ian try the rounds specified for these to debunk the story
Another tale of woe and intrigue in the gun business. These are my favorite videos of yours Ian! Thanks for another one, the backstory kept me smiling, but I quit smiling when I watched you shooting it.
So, I was a child, about 9 years old, on family vacation from Canada. We stopped at a Gander Mountain because our next stop was a weekend of camping. We were AMAZED. What a place!
Anyway, we get to the gun section and there is this glass case in the center, this bolt action rifle with a gigantic optic on it, rifle and optic all camoed out. It had a sign, big bold letters: "THE ULTIMATE DEER RIFLE"
I was asking my dad stuff that he didn't know, an employee came over to help... then the 9 year old pissed him off... I asked how far it could shoot a deer from, he gave some huge number the child could not comprehend. Then came the question "Why do you shoot them from so far? Are you afraid of them?"
To his credit, though he looked visibly upset, he took a deep breath and explained that "No, it's because the deer are afraid of people, the farther away I am, the less likely he is to know I'm there"
very funny
Elbonia was my first thought! Bevel the striker block and polish up the striker block hump on the trigger bar and that may solve the problem if it still releases the striker.
Maybe a healthy dunking in oil to slick everything up too.
This is probably the most interesting story for a some what functional collectable. It'll be worth over a thousand in about a century.
With inflation that will be a decrease in value
This video alone is probably going to bump up the price. The story makes for a good conversation piece.
I got an email from a shop about these a few weeks ago and looked pretty hard into them. For the price they were asking, I thought it might be a fun piece to have in 20 years when it ends up on FW. Guess I was a few years late in guessing its FW debut.
Or a heavier recoil spring. It’s like it won’t go into battery because either the recoil spring is too weak or the striker spring is too heavy. I’ve seen this on high round count Glocks with worn out recoil springs.
I was wondering what flag that was!
Montenegro. Man it's always nice seeing more obscure countries with their firearms, historically I can see why Montenegro has an arsenal but still very nice to see this rare gun and it's wacky story. Thank you.
Mine came in a plastic case vs the zipper pouch I’ve seen most places. Fortunately it hasn’t had the issues I’ve seen elsewhere, though I do think somewhere an angle is off because the last bit of travel isn’t fluid. I like it for what it is - a curio.
At first glance you think "oh polymer frame striker fire handgun" but then you hear the story behind it. Definitely a conversation piece.
Recoil spring seems like it isn't really acting on the slide when it goes into that final distance into battery. Normally you want a little bit of tension when you install it so you are using as much of the spring force as you can. With how easy it was for you to remove it, I have a feeling it has little tension when it is fully in battery. Either that, or it is combined with the firing pin safety block and tab on the trigger linkage and getting caught up during cycling.
That is most likely the problem
My guess, based on what you said and what we see, is that the slide is not supposed to snag on the trigger linkage and the reason it works better during rapid fire is that, to get the next shot off, you are 'resetting' your trigger finger fast enough that the slide is not hanging up on the linkage. If the slide is leaving a witness mark on the trigger linkage, you can see if it is feasible to file down the linkage to get the slide moving freely.
Well, I'm one of the Canadians that bought the first gen TM9 and my SN is on the list....lol. It was my first handgun after getting my license and wanted a budget 9mm for the range. I probably only ran 500-600 rounds through it, never had the stuck slide issue but feeding issues big time, especially on the last round. Best part is our current handgun ban now means this thing is essentially a paper weight :) gotta love it.
This the first review I’ve seen on these. Interestingly, a number made it into Canada… unsurprisingly even at $250 they never sold well, even just prior to the handgun ban, they were the last pistols on the shelves… I wonder how many are still in the gouging dealers inventory that we’re trying to sell them for $500… maybe these will someday make it back into the US market and add another chapter of perfection in the Tara story.
I have a soft spot for weird/crap guns like this. I wonder how difficult it is to fix this-what the weakpoints are, what it would be to replace them, ect.
If they are all like Ian's copy, it shouldn't be too difficult.
The slide looks to be hanging up on the trigger bar on the return trip.
A little tweaking with the trigger bar geometry and a heavier recoil spring could probably fix it right up.
Obviously they spent all the budget on the fancy feature. Ya know, the captive recoil spring. Trying to out cheap Hi-Point is a real challenge ya know. 😁
Ian, this gun simply HAS to go to Mark Novak as a project to fix - to see if it is possible to solve the problem of this design / manufacturing, like Brandon Herrera fixed your Krinkov from Hell!! ❤
Pretty sure Mark's fix will just be to throw it in that pond he's got out back...
You buy the pistol for $150-200, then send it to your local master armorer, and for $1500-2000, they will get it running at 98%+ with a smooth, if weird staging 15lbs trigger. And then tape a coffee can on your forehead and you can collect all the brass. Sounds like a deal to me 🤣🤣
It seems to my non gunsmith, kind of engineering eye that the trigger linkage was jamming everything up. If they split the trigger linkage and the striker safety tab, using a separate pivonting arm to actuate the safety, the problem would go away. Take that with a pinch of salt since I'm not a gunsmith.
I think it would be fun to do a follow up video and go into a deep dive investigation with an armourer into what is causing the issues.
If it's an issue with feeding, It seems like you could do a pretty serious feed ramp and chamber polish, and potentially get a stronger spring for the slide. When I first built my VZ61 It would not chamber at all, but a decent polish job has it running like a sewing machine. Could also be that this thing was developed around one particular type of ammo and it's really picky as a result
please
I have the Tm-9X. An updated version of this handgun. Ive shot over 1,000 rounds thru it now with zero malfunctions. Its very accurate and ive been impressed with the quality. Their 1st gen may have had problems but im happy with the gen 2 and would buy another based on my experiences. Your mileage may vary.
I hope that Ian puts a video on the Tm-9X here. I like "crooked man gets straight" stories!
I got one out of curiosity from centerfire(7/23) thinking the story was hilarious. I have had the opposite experience. I did lube it up generously before firing. I have had only 1 failure to extract on a subsonic round(this ammo hates many guns) out of the 150 fired. Hollowpoints even went nice. I was also intrigued by the unique double action trigger. The shop I work for has the TM9X that is only slightly cosmetically different. I know it isn't alot of range time but I'm happy for the money.
“Century Arm’s gunsmiths took them to the range to see how they performed.”
The word “gunsmiths” is doing a lot of work there Ian 😂
The first gun I ever bought was a vz24 from centerfire systems! I've bought from them many times over the years and they are great. I've always been able to get someone on the phone to help.
You know you fucked up when Ian starts the video off with your company's weapon malfunctioning
I wonder if there’s something it catches on in the frame that if filed down would make it run flawlessly. Or just offer a stouter return spring to slam the slide forward so you don’t have to give it that little push. After so many rounds, the problem might correct itself. Although, I suppose that would probably result in more stovepipes. Lots of give and take in gun design I guess 😬 cool video, Ian!
I'm thinking that hook on the trigger bar that engages the sear before finally dropping free is a bit too long. Just a thought.
I polished the rails and most other parts that had metal on metal contact. Mine runs just fine with no problems. Yes the trigger is long but after your initial trigger pull you release slow until it resets, cutting the trigger weight and length but half....
@@jeffrey._.westerby-murphy7268
I've read several reviews in which the owners said theirs were great. After Ian's review, they must have gotten one of those that Gander's gunsmiths fixed, or got lucky, or maybe did it themselves like you did.
I was interested when Cabela's used gun department had them. They were soooo cheap. But then, Taurus decided to rebate the excellent little G2C, and after that, I got a couple of teally good deals on Canik's superb interpretation of Walther's PPQ. All work as flawlessly as any semiautomatic I've ever fired, including Herr Glock's masterpiece.
I did the heavy return spring in mine as well as polishing the rails etc with no improvement. Still a failure at least once out of every ten shots
Havent tried working with the sear yet
19:40 interesting ejection pattern there (or lack thereof). In fact it looks like towards the end of each magazine the ejection gets weaker and weaker
This product performs reliably as a paperweight, space saver or counterweight. It just looks like something else. I’d be interested in what it takes to make it function reliably as a firearm.
Well, if the story Ian shared with us is correct it takes more than a professional gunsmith to fix them.
What a start contrast from their newer pistols, which seem to be a hell of a lot better.
I have a cheap CZ-75 Airsoft replica from Taiwan and i was surprised with how similar it looks, in finish and material choices.
Also my Airsoft replica at one point had this exact same failure(slide not closing properly), I didn’t bother with fixing it properly and just put a rubber band arround it, at a slight angle so the barrel was free. The slide had enough clearance and it actually worked. Later on i sat down and fixed it properly but part of my has a sinking feeling putting a rubber band on the Tara might actually work…🤣
Ian, every single one of your videos is archive worthy. Please dont ever stop what you do. You are the undisputed best at what you do, and i watch at least 1 video every single day. Thank you for everything
Every firearms manufacturer/ designer should have to watch at least 24 hours of your content before even thinking about making a gun. You include the best history/lore, best technical analysis, and an overall fantastic "3rd party" perspective. You are 1st on my top 3 on RUclips accounts.... out of every account that has ever existed or will in the future. An absolute legend among gun buffs, history buffs, and youtube addicts alike. Thank you from the bottom of my heart
I love how they called it the exact opposite of what it is, just like Congress does with legislation.
Reminds me of the iver Johnson safety automatic
We call it the "Protecting Americans Act"
"What does it say though?"
"Oh, It makes it illegal to vote if we don't like you for any reason. Like if you're poor or something"
So, Zip .22, Cobray Terminator, Tara TM-9. Ian is helping me compile a list of guns I never want to own, despite being unable to to begin with.
Forgot the Crossfire Mk1, an over/under pump action rifle and shotgun hybrid. Ian made a video about it forever ago. Would list some more older/rarer firearms that you probably don't want either, but at the same time, you could say yes based on anything except taking one out to the range.
@@No-mq5lw Did I?
TARA meaning fault in Spanish, among other things. Literally faulty perfection, weird.
Tara is also a river in Serbia (it neighbors Montenegro)
@@Kevin80237Tara is also river that is in Montenegro, most likely from where it got its name
@@palmabolp yup
...Years ago I had aGerman Shepherd named Tara.....she appears to have been far mor dangerous than this pistol could ever be!
..
@@Kevin80237 I am aware that the same word can have completely different meanings in different languages, I was joking. Also I would not buy a product that has the name TARA written on it because of the meaning that word has for me, like if I see "birria tacos", where birria means garbage or trash, so I would not try those either, I am not mexican.
From the sound of it, all that really needed to be changed to get it working properly wound be 1. adjusting the sear bar to drop lower at full travel 2. some mild geometry changes to the lock up and 3. some adjustments to the recoil spring pressure.
Other than that, there really doesn't seem to be anything fundamentally wrong with the design. Perhaps if there was a way to make it da/sa with a manual decocker, it could sell decently well and carve out a place for itself in the market. Making it an affordable option for private security and small Police departments.
i remember rebuilding a glock incorrectly and it had that same issue where the slide would not go fully forwards until you release the trigger can't remember what it was now but it was exactly like that
I'd buy this gun. Looks like a great gun to practice working thorough stoppages.
hey thats a really smart idea XD imagine if you didnt maintain or clean it much or at all how good it would be for that
The locking style looks M&P, the rest looks Glock Gen3 as does the Slide. I had these same issues with P80 builds. There is some work to be done on the disconnector and striker safety. Polishing these areas will likely get it running 99%.
This video was very interesting to me, not really because of the pistol it is as generic as they come but because it doesn't work. It was fun speculating on what is causing it to malfunction and potential solutions. It seems like a heftier spring might help and my best guess as to why it holds open slightly with the trigger depressed is maybe the tab that depresses the button for the firing pin block is catching when the slide tries to go back into battery since it doesn't reset. This almost makes me want to get one just to tinker with and see if I'm right or not
It seems that way to me, also. I’d love to see further investigation.
I, for one, would love to see a History Of (or Interview With) Century Arms. It would be fascinating to hear someone actually associated with the company explain themselves to the American firearms community. In fact, I actually would love to see such a thing for some of the other "semi-controversial" manufacturers/importers also: Vector, Group Industries, Sarco, RPB, MAC, SWD, and especially Interarms. I'm probably forgetting a few obvious ones.
From what I recall at the time, Gander Mountain was having difficulties in properly training staff in safely storing firearms (things like inspections discovering live rounds in display guns, missing serialized parts, etc.)
I can’t help but wonder if a slightly heavier recoil spring would help with the slide issues
I am intrigued by the concept of the DA semiauto. Simple. Good capacity. Perhaps the trigger could be improved simply by a cam as on the Ruger LCR. Maybe. Or perhaps making a hammer fired system. Ian I liked the back story. It substantiates your other stories about the problems of firearms development/manufacture.
I have an tm9 Tara, but after review by Ian I Will be not missing a single minute to get it out from my collection.
If you have a collection, keep it as a collector's item. It has value just from history. Put a "don't use" flag on it, put preservative on it, and put it into the dark corner of your safe.
@kevinallies1014 such a good words give me courage on my decision.
Thank Kevin.
Ngl I would buy this because in 20 years it will really be a forgotten weapon
In Spanish, the word "tara" means defect (tare). "Tara Perfection" sounds somewhat contradictory. And for a Spanish speaker who also speaks English, it sounds something like "the perfection of the defect." I don't think any Spanish speaker would purchase that gun without having the feeling that he's making a poor buying decision. The brand name says it all. lol
I think it's like a highpoint in the way that you'd keep it in a tool box or bathroom where you normally wouldn't think of keeping a gun and don't mind forgetting about it. At least with highpoint you actually get great customer service.
sounds like a great way of getting it stolen and used against you. just saying.
Looks like just your run of the mill
Glock........
Nah it's fine.